


Reunion

by TheDVirus



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Attempted Murder, Awkward Conversations, Declarations Of Love, Enemies to Friends, Flowers, Friends to Enemies, Gunplay, Hallucinations, Love Confessions, M/M, Male Friendship, Male Slash, Mind Games, Nygmobblepot, Nygmobblepot Week 2017, One-Sided Attraction, True Love, visiting graves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 19:10:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10367439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDVirus/pseuds/TheDVirus
Summary: Seventh and Final Fic for Nygmobblepot Week, Prompt: 'Anything you want!'Edward and Oswald's inevitable reunion, months after Ed shot him and pushed him into Gotham Bay.Despite everything, Ed still leaves flowers at the graves of Oswald's parents every week. But a creature of habit, such as Ed, is easy to find. And an even easier target for a patient hunter.Kudos to @witchunters on Tumblr for the idea :)





	

‘You aren’t saying anything’.

The cold wind whistling through the graveyard caused no movement of Oswald’s hair as he stood beside Ed. 

‘Hello Father, Ed’s sorry about digging you up for a while’, he said mockingly, ‘Mother, how are you? Ed’s really sorry for murdering me’.

‘That’s not funny’, Ed said, grip tightening on the bouquet of lillies he was carrying.

He didn’t even know why he kept doing this.  
Every week he would bring flowers to Oswald’s parents’ grave.  
White lillies.

The Oswald his brain had conjured to torment him would always be there waiting for him, dripping with filthy water from Gotham bay, milky eyes watching him coldly. A drowned man standing sentinel over the graves of the only people who had ever cared about him.

Except for Ed.  
But, despite what his brain might have decided, Ed did not care anymore.  
He didn’t feel a thing.  
That hadn’t changed from when he had pushed Oswald’s bleeding body into the water.

‘Well I’m sorry Ed’, Oswald shrugged, ‘I’m not saying anything because you have no idea what I would say in this scenario’.

Ed put the flowers on the grave.  
He tried to ignore the blood dripping from Oswald’s stomach staining the flowers red.

‘I didn’t really put your father in a dumpster you know’, he said as he straightened.

‘Yes, I know that’, Oswald replied, then after a pause added, ‘ _He_ doesn’t’.

Ed was about to ask who Oswald meant when he felt his phone rumble. He rolled his eyes, irritated that one of his underlings was interrupting his introspection. After all it couldn’t be called a conversation if you were talking to yourself. He took it from his coat pocket and flicked the volume on to identify who was calling.

_~Who’s sorry now? Who’s sorry now? I tried to warn you somehow~_

He realised Oswald was singing along with the ringtone and turned to tell him to stop but Oswald’s lips weren’t moving. He was looking behind Ed.  
Where the voice was coming from.

‘You’ve had your way, now you must pay, I’m glad you’re sorry now’.

Ed’s blood ran cold as he clicked the call off.  
That was Oswald’s personal ringtone.  
Which meant…

‘You forgot Ed’.  
Ed turned on his heel, eyes wide with shock.  
He knew that impossible voice.  
As he turned he was vaguely aware that Oswald had disappeared from beside him.

‘Penguins swim’, Oswald finished.

He was standing a few graves away, carrying an umbrella in one hand.  
And a sawn off shotgun in the other.

Ed tried his best to hide his disbelief.  
Apart from dark circles under his eyes, Oswald looked none for the worse for Ed’s murder attempt. Provided of course it was the real Oswald and not another doppelganger his damaged psyche had conjured up. It would be a logical next step: the drowned Oswald represented Ed’s guilt at the act and this one probably represented Ed’s subconscious desire to be punished for it or to see Oswald alive and whole again.  
All desires Ed insisted he did not feel.

‘You’ve picked a very convenient place to kill me’, he said evenly.

‘Would you prefer I cut your brakes?’ Oswald asked.

There was a silence between them which was oddly companionable: like people waiting in a dentist’s office. It was as if they had both been anticipating the confrontation and were just keen to get on with it now it had arrived.

‘How are you Oswald?’

‘I’m fine Ed. How are you?’

‘Peachy’.

‘I’ve been watching what you’ve been up to. Very impressive’.

‘High praise coming from you’.

Oswald gave a fond smile tinged with just a hint of venom.  
‘Always the charmer’, he assessed, ‘I always loved that about you’.

‘Interesting use of past tense. So you’re finally saying you know I don’t love you’.

Oswald shook his head as he walked forwards a few steps.  
Seeing Ed reach for the inside of his coat, Oswald acknowledged the signal and stopped.  
Overhead, thunder rumbled and a light rain began to fall.

‘I’m saying I don’t _need_ you Ed. Not the same thing’. 

‘Now you’re just being childish’.

‘Let’s talk like adults then’, Oswald said and cocked the shotgun.

‘I’m listening’, Ed said.

‘Do you know why I’m here?’

‘To kill me’, Ed answered immediately, ‘Or to take revenge in such a way that killing me would be a mercy’.

Oswald nodded, a sardonic smile gliding across his face.  
‘I should, shouldn’t I?’ he mused, ‘I should chop you into fish food for what you did. See how you like a watery grave’.

‘But instead you’re waxing lyrical about it’.

‘Little odd don’t you think?’ Oswald asked, tilting his head quizzically. 

Ed didn’t reply.  
He blinked as he felt rainwater began to run down his hair as the shower got heavier.

Oswald made a face as if he had just remembered something and used the shotgun to scratch the side of his head thoughtfully.

‘You know what else is a little odd?’ he said, ‘A forensics expert saying they’re going to kill someone then shooting them in the stomach, not the head’.

‘Maybe I wanted you to suffer’.

‘Oh, I did Ed. That freezing water, the darkness, the sheer, burning pain of my insides grinding against that bullet. I actually felt myself dying. But then all of a sudden I feel strong arms pulling me out of the water’.

‘Someone followed us to the docks no doubt’, Ed said, averting his eyes.

‘Stop playing dumb Ed!’ Oswald suddenly shouted, ‘It’s not your game! We both know you saved me. You shot me then dragged me out of the water’.

‘It was probably Gabe or another of your pet gorillas!’ Ed retorted, ‘Why would I go through all the trouble of shooting you then change my mind?!’

Oswald laughed.

‘To protect us both! You were hoping that by shooting me, I wouldn’t love you anymore and we’d be free of each other. Unencumbered. Safe. You didn’t want me dead. You wanted me to remember that love is a weakness! That once you know what a man loves, it can be used to hurt him’.

‘That-that isn’t- that doesn’t make any sense!’ Ed jabbered. 

‘It makes _perfect_ sense to you Ed!’ Oswald yelled, ‘Isn’t that why we became friends in the first place?! It’s fucked up and crazy and twisted but guess what?! So are we! We are the same and you were protecting us the only way you knew how! By splitting us up! Because you knew people would use you to hurt me! Just like you did!’

Ed swallowed as a lump began to form in his throat.  
It was as if Oswald was reading his mind!  
How was that possible?!  
How could he have guessed that beneath Ed’s genuine anger, he had theorised, had _hoped_ that Oswald would come back to Gotham somehow.

‘But you just said you didn’t love me!’ he protested.

‘I said I didn’t ‘need’ you! And you know what? You don’t need me either! I know you couldn’t have become this with me beside you. You had to do it alone. I said I created Edward Nygma but you have perfected him. I can’t destroy something you sacrificed so much to achieve. I won’t’.

Oswald lowered the gun. It hung limply at his side in one hand.  
Ed didn’t relax his guard.  
He didn’t understand: why wasn’t Oswald behaving the way Ed had expected? Oswald should want him dead!  
He gaped as he realised it was The Sirens all over again.  
Oswald wasn’t going to hurt him! He was proving Ed wrong the exact same way he had the first time!

‘But just because I don’t need you, doesn’t mean I don’t love you’, Oswald said, voice breaking slightly.

Ed gave a growl of sheer frustration.  
Why couldn’t he understand?!  
Why was Oswald here?! What did he want from him?!

‘How can you keep saying that?!’ he shouted, ‘After everything I did to you! I hated you for what you did!’

‘Now who’s using past tense?’ Oswald countered, ‘But you know what? It’s okay if you still hate me! I did an awful thing and I hurt you! I deserve your hatred. I hate that you shot me but I love you Ed. I will always love you! You don’t have to reciprocate and you never have to see me again after this. I’m not here to kill you: I’m here to tell you that shooting me hasn’t changed how I feel about you! You were wrong! I _can_ love you, I _do_ love you Edward Nygma and there is _nothing_ you can do to stop me!’

Oswald turned on his heel and began to walk away, umbrella held high.  
Ed felt numb: shocked at Oswald’s tirade but also at the fact he was just walking away!  
So that was it?!  
That was all?!

‘I could kill you’, Ed said numbly and took out his pistol.

As he pointed it at Oswald’s retreating back, Oswald stopped dead.  
Ed narrowed his eyes as he realised Oswald was laughing.

‘Did you hear me?!’ Ed demanded.

Oswald turned and began to walk back towards Ed, a bitter smile on his face. 

‘I’m listening’, he replied, hands held up.

‘Stop’, Ed ordered as Oswald was a few feet away.

Oswald ignored him so Ed repeated the command, louder this time.

‘Stop!’

Oswald was now right in front of Ed.  
Ed heard a clunk as Oswald's shotgun hit the ground. He had dropped it deliberately.  
Oswald spread his arms wide in invitation, removing them both from the sanctuary of the umbrella as he let go of it. It rolled down the hill.

Ed’s hand was shaking as he gripped the pistol, barrel aimed at Oswald’s chest.

‘So you say you’re going to kill me?’ Oswald asked, raising an eyebrow, ‘Seriously? When your aim’s so bad you couldn’t even break my heart properly?’

A cold wind blew between them, scattering leaves amongst their feet.  
They stared at each other, both waiting for the other to move.  
Both men’s suits gradually darkened as the rainwater soaked through their clothes, dying them several shades darker.

After what seemed like a century, Ed moved.  
Reaching out with his other hand, he took hold of Oswald’s jacket and rubbed the material between his fingers.  
Oswald remembered the gesture and allowed it.  
The last physical contact they had shared before Ed had pushed him off the pier.

‘It’d be good if I took the safety off huh?’ Ed asked as his eyes flicked to the pistol.

The same pistol he had used to shoot Oswald the first time.  
He gave an odd, choked laugh.  
This was real.  
He could feel the silken fabric rub against his gloves.  
He let go and covered his face with both hands, shoulders shaking as he began to sob.  
The gun fell to the ground, joining Oswald's now useless shotgun.

Oswald watched Ed cry, unsure of how to react to such an open display of emotion.  
He wasn’t sure what he had expected out of this meeting but he certainly hadn’t prepared for this outcome. He had been more prepared for an all-out fire fight or physical altercation.  
He knew what he wanted to do: he could feel his hand moving almost with a life of its own as it reached for Ed but he also knew he couldn’t and abruptly withdrew his hand.  
They weren’t back there yet.  
He couldn’t tell if the water running down Ed’s chin was rain or tears.  
He averted his eyes and waited for Ed to calm down.

Ed took a deep breath and sighed heavily.  
He lowered his hands and looked at Oswald through his steamed-up glasses. He felt the cold air hit the fresh tears on his cheeks as he smiled.

‘God, I missed you’, he whispered hoarsely. 

He jumped, startled as he felt Oswald remove his glasses.  
He blinked to clear his vision and watched Oswald clean them carefully with his pocket square.

‘I missed you too’, Oswald said, handing them back to him, ‘We’re friends after all’.

They shared a smile.  
It was only a little one.  
Yet it had the power to dispel the ominous atmosphere that had gathered about them.  
A few dim rays of sunshine broke through the clouds above as the rain began to stop.

‘You remembered’, Ed said.


End file.
